This invention relates generally to wheel mounting devices and, more particularly, to an axle extension device which broadens the wheel base of a vehicle and enables the original tires and wheels to be mounted thereto.
Various devices have been proposed in the art for adapting a vehicle wheel hub to receive a wheel thereon having a bolt pattern different from that of the vehicle wheel hub itself. For example, a wheel adapter may allow a vehicle owner to exchange a five-bolt, four inch bolt circle wheel for a five-bolt, five inch bolt circle wheel. Or, another properly configured adapter may allow a vehicle owner to exchange a five-bolt wheel for an eight-bolt wheel, etc. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices do not provide a means for conveniently extending the length of an axle while still enabling the axle to receive conventional vehicle wheels thereon and, therefore, to extend the wheel base of the vehicle.
Therefore, it is desirable to have an axle extension device which may be coupled to a vehicle wheel hub for extending the corresponding axle and widening the wheel base of the vehicle. Further, it is desirable to have an axle extension device that allows the vehicle""s stock wheels to be mounted thereto. In addition, it is desirable to have an axle extension device which allows a user to easily select or adjust the extent to which the axle is extended.
An axle extension device according to the present invention includes a circular axle extender plate defining a plurality of bores therethrough arranged in a bolt circle and adapted to respectively receive the mounting studs of a vehicle wheel hub therethrough. A plurality of nuts having threads complementary to those of the mounting studs may be used to secure the extender plate to the vehicle wheel hub. The extender plate further includes a plurality of stud bolts arranged in a bolt circle with each stud bolt positioned between a pair of extender plate bores. The stud bolts are constructed in a manner substantially similar to the mounting studs of the vehicle wheel hub in that the hub of a vehicle wheel may be received thereon and secured thereto with conventional lug nuts. The extender plate presents a thickness such that a wheel attached thereto is offset about xc2xdxe2x80x3 to 3 inches from the actual vehicle wheel hub.
Therefore, a general object of the present invention is to provide an axle extension device which increases the wheel base of a vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an axle extension device, as aforesaid, which allows wheels having the same bolt configuration as the vehicle wheel hub to be mounted to the extender plate.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an axle extension device, as aforesaid, having a predetermined thickness such that a wheel mounted thereto is offset a corresponding distance from the vehicle wheel hub.
A further object of this invention is to provide an axle extension device, as aforesaid, which improves vehicle handling and control when driving along curves and corners.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an axle extension device, as aforesaid, which provides an aesthetically pleasing custom appearance to tires and wheels mounted thereto.
Another object of this invention is to provide an axle extension device, as aforesaid, which may be easily adjusted by a user to selectively vary the extent to which an axle is broadened.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.